Vending-machine.



No. 857,257. PATENTED JUNE 18,- 1907.

P. A. ROBIGHON. V VENDING MAGHIN'BL APPLIOATION FILED APR. 27,-1906.

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THENORRIS PETERS co., wnsumcrmv, n. c.

N6. 857,257. PATENTED JUNE 18, 1907.

I P.'A. ROBIOHON. Y

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 111311.27, 1906.

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THE NORRIS 'PETERS ca. WASHINGTON, in. 5

110.857.2575 PATENTEDJUNE 1a, 1907.

P. A. ROVBIGHON. VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED APR- 27,1906.

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PM In 7 w v [I 1 i I l l l w INVENTOH IRS co., wAsHmaroN n c PETER A. ROBIOHON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1907.

Application fileclApril 2'7, 1906. Serial No. 314,041.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER A. Ronronon, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, Brooklyn borough, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a vending machine, and particularly to that type of machine in which a coin is inserted in the machine and is caused to co-operate with the mechanism thereof to release and deliver a package of goods from a magazine when an operating lever is advanced. On account of the abuse of which machines of this type are subject, and in order to prevent the operation of the machine when any coin or piece of material other than the one intended is inserted in the machine, it becomes necessary to provide means for preventing any piece of material other than the selected coin from entering the operating mechanism and stopping the further operation of the machine.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a device adapted to be used in connection with machlnes of this type by means of which any piece of material other than the selected coin will be prevented from entering the operating mechanism but will also be released and the receiving chute of the machine left clear to receive and transmit the proper coin to the operating mechanlSIIl.

Another feature of my invention is in the operating mechanism by means of which the coin is caused to engage and at the same time raise an ejector to such a positionthat when the same is advanced the goods are delivered from their magazine and the coin delivered to the coin-till.

One of the advantages obtained by causing the ejector to be raised by the coin is in the fact that the operating lever is frequently pushed in without inserting a coin in the machine. This movement in a machine embodying my invention would not deliver the goods, as the ejector would not be raised to an operative position unless the coin had previously been inserted and delivered to the coin-carrier.

Other objects of my invention will be in part obvious and will also be in part described in connection with the drawings accompanying this specification, in which I be engaged by the coin as it have illustrated my invention embodied in a vending machine of the type described.

In carrying out my invention as applied to a machine of this type, I have provided a coin-chute adapted to receive the coin and which is positioned at an angle with the vertical plane and inclined to a horizontal plane. The upper side of this chute is fixed in a position, while the lower side is hinged to the bottom of the chute and adapted to be swung to an open position so as to release any piece of material lodged in the chute. In order to prevent the passage of iron washers, or other pieces of magnetic material, I have provided a permanent magnet which I have attached to the bottom of the chute and which partially projects through an opening therein. This magnet is pivoted in such a position that it will be swung out of its 0 erative position and release any piece 0 material held thereby. To hold the magnet and the hinged side of the chute in their operative and closed positions, respectively, I preferably employ a single spring which forms a convenient and simple means for accomplishing the purpose. A portion of the hinged side may be so formed and positioned in relation to the slot through which the coin is first inserted as to passes through this slot and swing the hinged side to its open position. The hinged side of the chute may also be provided with a projecting arm, or other suitable means, to engage the magnet and swing the same into an inoperative position when the hinged side is swung into its open position, as above described.

When the coin is'passed through the entering slot into the chute the spring above described immediately returns the hinged side of the chute to its closed position and the magnet to its operative position. If an iron washer or other piece of magnetic material is inserted the magnet will hold the same and prevent it from passing from the chute to the operating mechanism of the machine and when a coin or other piece of material is next passed through the slot the hinged side will be opened and the magnet will release the piece of material held thereby, which will then drop out of the side of the chute. As soon as this second piece of material passes through the slot the hinged side of the chute and magnet return to their former position, and, if the second piece of material is other than the selected coin, the same'operation will be repeated. If, however, the proper coin is inserted it will be seen that the chute will be clear for the passage of the same to the coin-receptacle.

v In order to prevent the passage of a piece of non-magnetic material, which is usually much thinner than the coin, a slot is provided in the hinged or lower side of the chute, which slot is slightly less in width than the selected. coin and consequently any such piece of material will fall through this slot and not be carried to the coin-receptacle.

The coin-receptacle may be provided with a concave back which is adapted to turn the coin into a transverse plane and guide the same to a coin-carrier. The coin-carrier may be provided with a slot or recess positioned so as to receive the coin from the-coinreceptacle. The coin-carrier may be operated by a suitable lever from the outside of the machine to advance the same, and may also be provided with a spring or other suitable means to return the same to its initial position after the operation thereof. The coincarrier may be carried on a carrier support having a recess with converging sides upon which the coin rests and is held in the slot or recess in the coin-carrier. As the coin-carrier is advanced the coin is raised by the converging sides of the recess and caused to pass under and into engagement with an ejector raising and advancing the sameinto an operative position to deliver thegoods from their magazine. The ejector may be carried by the coin-carrier and-so constructed as to be engaged and operated by the coin as the carrier is advanced, as above described.

The operation of the machine will bemore clearly understood from the description. of the illustration shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings accompanying this specification like parts in the several views have been given similar reference numbers.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a vending.

machine incorporating my invention. Fig. 2. is a sectional side elevation taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isan end view, partly in section, of the coin-chute taken on the line 33 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the coin-chute, partly in section, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1 Fig. 5is a view of a portion of the machine, showing. a swinging. bottom and operating lever of the coin-till. Fig. 6 is a sectional side view of a portion of the machine, similar to Fig. 2, showing the operatingmechanism in position as the goods are being delivered. Fig. 7. is a view of. the lower portion of the magazine showing the swinging. back for retainingthe goods in position to be-deliveredby the ejector. Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the ejector. showing. the relative position of thecoin-car-rier in dotted lines. Fig. 9 is an enthat portion ofthe carrier support shown in chute and being delivered to the coin receptacle a permanent magnet 113 is provided. This-magnet is pivotally attached at 114 to end of this magnet when in its operative polarged plan view of the carrier support with the coin-carrier indicated in dotted outlines. Fig. 10 is a sectional end view taken through Fi 9 upon which the coin rests when first delivered thereto from the chute.

An outer case or housing of wood or other suitable material is shown at 1 and positioned Within this housing is a magazine 2 which is adapted to contain the packages of goods, shown at 3, which are delivered thereom by an ejector; as will be more fullv described hereinafter.

The operation of the machine is effected by inserting a coin in the slot 4 where it engages a cam 5 which is attached to a hinged side 6 of the coin-chute. This hin ed side is pivoted at 7 to the bottom 8 of tlle chute. The upper side 9 of the chute may be fixed in position and bent inwardly so asto retain the coin inposition as it passes through the chute. A spring 10 normally holds the hinged side 6 of the chute closed, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and o erates to close the same to the position s own as soon as the coin haspassed through the slot 4.

The coin-chute is inclined downwardly from the front of the machine and also inclined at an angle with a vertical plane and consequently the coin will roll through the chute and be delivered to coin-receptacle 11. The rear wall or back of the coin-receptacle is concave, which assists in turning the coin into a transverse plane in the coin-receptacle j and delivering the same to the coin-carrier. The concaved back of the coin-receptacle is shown at 12. i

To prevent iron washers, or other pieces of magnetic material, from passingthrough the the bottom 8- of the chute which is provided with suitable openin s therein allowing one sition to project therethrough flush with the inner surface of the bottom of the chute. The magnet 113 may be held in its operative position by the same spring 10which holds the hinged side 6 of the chute in its closed position, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The opposite end of the magnet 113 is engaged by a projecting portion from the hinged side 6 of the chute and when this is swung into its open position by the entering coin engaging the cam 5 as already described, the magnet 113 will be swung on its pivot 114 to an inoperative position. This'movement of the magnet releases any piece of material held thereby and as the hinged lower side of the chute is swung at the same time to its open position the piece formerly held by the magnet drops out of theside of the chute, leaving the passage clear for the entering coin. This feature of thehinged side of the "releasing any thereof to the operating mec I prevent the passage of a piece of non-maghute which is adapted to be opened leaving the chute without a supporting portion, in combination with the movable holding magnet, provides a positive and simple means of piece of material other than the selected coin and preventin the passage Tanism. To

' netic material of less thickness than the selected coin a slot is provided in the hinged lodged in the slot from any cause the next entering coin will open the side of the chute,

as described, and thus removing the support allowing the lodged pieces to fall out. Thus a simple and efiicient means for preventing the passage and delivery of any material, other than the selected coin, to the operating mechanism is provided and also provides against the machine becoming clogged by coins or other material lodging in the chute. It is essential in machines of this character that not only they do not become clogged but that the mechanism may always be operative when theproper coin is inserted and consequently this feature is very important.

The coin after passing through the chute is delivered to the coin-receptacle 1 1 and passed through the lower portion 13 ofthesame to the coin-carrier 14 which is provided with a slot adapted to receive the same, as shown inFig. 2 and in Figs. 9 and 10. A carrier support 15 is provided with an opening 16 positioned under the coin-carrier 14 so that as the coin 17, shown in dotted outline in Fig. 2, falls into the slot in the carrier it will rest in this opening, as shown in Figs. 2, 9 and 10. This opening 16 is provided with converging sides, which may be formed by a circular opening, and as the carrier 14 is advanced by the rod 18 the coin will ride on these converging sides of the opening 16 and be raised so as to engage and raise the ejector 19.

The ejector 19 is provided with a projection or pin 20 so positioned that as the coin is advanced as described it will engage this pin and advance the ejector 19 from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 6 and during this movement will engage one of the packages of goods contained in the magazine 2 and cause the same to pass by the hinged back 21, which is normally held closed by suitable spring, at the lower end of the magazine/ The package of goods3 will then drop into the lower portion of the machine.

When the coin-carrier has reached the po sition above described and the goods are being delivered the coin will fall through a suitable opening provided at this point in the carrier support 15 into the cointill. The

ejector resting upon the coin accelerates the delivery of the same to the coin-till and renders this portion of the operation of the ma To prevent the carrier and coin from being returned before the coin has been delivered to the coin-till a ratchet lever 24 may be pivotally attached to the carrier support 15 and so positioned as'to engage the com and prevent the same from being returned after it has been once advanced. This ratchet lever may be held in its operative position, as shown in Fig. 6, by means of a suitable spring.

The coin-till is preferably provided with a swinging bottom 25 which is hinged at 26. This swinging bottom is normally held in position by a projection 27 from a lever 28 which is pivotally attached to the casing at 29 and provided with an operating handle 30, a swinging front 31 may also be provided for the coin-till which may also be operated by the same lever. The projection or pin 27 may pass through a suitable slot in the side of the casing and when the operating lever 30 is moved from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5. to the position shown in dotted lines the swinging bottom 25 of the coin-till will drop toits lower position and deliver the coins contained therein. The coin-till is closed by simply moving the lever 30 back to its original position, shown in full lines in Fig. 5, thus raising the bottom of the till and closing the front thereof.

The operating lever of the coin-till may be positioned Within the casing so as to be inaccessible except when the same is opened and thus provide a very simple construction for the com-till which remains entirely closed and retains the coins therein until the same is opened by a simple movement of the lever, as above described, when the coins will be delivered.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, I intend that all thematter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. i

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a vending machine, a coin-chute adapted to deliver a coin IIO to a coin-receptacle, a coin-receptacle adapt- I ed to receive and deliver said coin to a coincarrier, a coin-carrier having a slot therein adapted to receive and hold said coin in position to engage an ejector, and an ejector adapted to be advanced by said coin to deliver the goods from their magazine, said ejector also resting upon and operating to accelerate the delivery of said coin from said carrier to the coin-till. I

2. In combination with a vending machine, means for delivering a coin to a coincarrier, a coin-carrier adapted to receive said coin, an ejector adapted to be advanced and raised by said coin to deliver the goods from their magazine, and means for advancing and raising said coin to operate said ejector.

3. In combination with a vending machine, means for delivering a coin to a coincarrier, a movable coin-carrier adapted to hold the coin in operative position to engage an ejector, a carrier support provided with a recess so formed as to raise the coin and ejec.

tor as the carrier is advanced, and an ejector adapted to be advanced and raised by said coin to deliver the goods from their maga- Z1Il6.

4. In combination with avending machine, means for delivering a coin to a coin-carrier, a movable coin-carrier adapted to hold the coin in operative position to engage an ejector, a carrier support provided with a recess having converging sides so formed as to raise the coin and ejector as the carrier is advanced, and an ejector adapted to be advanced and raised by said coin to deliver the goods from their magazine. v

5. In combination with a vending machine, means for delivering a coin to a coincarrier, a movable coin-carrier adapted to hold the coin in operative position to engage an ejector, a carrier support provided with circular opening so positioned as to raise th coin and ejector as the carrier is advanced and an ejector adapted to be advanced and raised by said coin to deliver the goods from their magazine.

6. In combination with a vending machine, means for delivering a coin to a coin carrier, a movable coin-carrier adapted to hold the coin in operative position to engage an ejector, a carrier support co-operating with said coin-carrier as the same is advanced and adapted to cause the coin to pass under and into engagement with said ejector, and means to cause the coin to raise and advance the ejector into operative position, and an ejector adapted to be advanced and raised by said coin to deliver the goods from their magazine.

7. In combination with a vending machine, means for delivering a coin to a coincarrier, a movable coin-carrier adapted to hold the coin in operative position to engage an ejector, a carrier support co-operating with said coin-carrier as the same is advanced and adapted to cause the coin to pass under and into engagement with said ejector, and means to cause the coin to raise and advance the ejector into operative position, and an ejector adapted to be advanced and raised by said coin to deliver the goods from their magazine, said ejector also operating to accelerate the movement of coin from carrier to the coin-till.

Signed at the city'of New York, Brooklyn borough in the county of Kings and State of New York this 20th day of April, A. D. 1906.

PETER A. ROBICHON.

Witnesses:

J. WADSWORTH NORTON, LEwIs J. DOOLITTLE. 

